Coffee Ride to Churchill After Hours in Eldred NY

The Ride

Another ride in our Upstate Coffee Crawl series, today’s destination was 68.6 miles away as the crow flies, according to the Beeline compass. Churchill After Hours, located in Eldred, NY, in Sullivan County, was sure to add more miles, with some incredible scenery along the way.  See our article on discovering new roads with Beeline.

I had a riding buddy join me before we departed from Cross River. We headed north on Route 121 to connect with the reservoir road running alongside the Titicus Reservoir as I rode the BMW R18 Classic. We routed toward Croton Falls and onto Route 34, heading northeast toward Mahopac, crossing over the Croton Falls Reservoir. We hugged the coast of Lake Mahopac and then joined Route 6N, passing Oceola Lake just before the road joined Route 6.

At Strawberry Road, we left Route 6, which was becoming a major road.  We headed west as the road became Red Mill Road and then Oregon Road before making a right onto Pump House Road in Van Cortlandville.  At the turn, the building previously known as the Van Cortlandt Upper Manor House is visible, now part of a senior nursing center, but originally built in 1773 by Pierre van Cortlandt, whose grandfather created van Cortlandt Manor.  Like many historical buildings in the area, this house served as headquarters for George Washington during the American Revolutionary War.

We turn left onto Dogwood Road, running alongside a ridge before turning to Route 9. This leads us to Annsville Circle, where we join Route 6/202, leading up to the bridge. We cross the Hudson River at the Bear Mountain Bridge, head south at the roundabout, and stop at the Bear Mountain Inn to pick up another riding buddy.

Now, the trio of bikes is heading further west along Seven Lakes Drive as it travels through Harriman State Park. At Tiorati Circle, we turn right onto Arden Valley Road, my favorite motorcycle road in Harriman. The road winds its way through the park with several switchbacks until it crosses over Interstate 87 before ending at Route 17.

We take a left onto Route 17, heading south until we can head west again on Route 17A. We pass by the NY Renaissance Faire grounds before the road heads up the ridge separating Tuxedo, NY, from Greenwood Lake. At the lake, we follow the coast on Route 210, crossing into New Jersey around the middle of the lake.

At the end of the road, we turn right onto Warwick Turnpike, heading west as our diversion along the lake, while scenic has the Beeline compass urging us to turn right.  We are destined to pass more lakes as we pass Upper Greenwood Lake and then cross back into New York State until the road ends, where we turn left onto Route 94, leading us back into New Jersey.  After a few more turns, we once again cross back into New York with the zig-zag of our path clear on the recorded Rever route.

We head toward Pine Island and the famous black dirt region before we get onto Route 6, heading southeast toward Port Jervis.  Port Jervis is home to the first coffee shop we visited in the Upstate Coffee Crawl, Foundry 42+.  The town sits at the confluence of the Neversink and Delaware Rivers, where the states of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania join at the Tri-States Monument.

We depart Port Jervis, following the northern shore of the Deleware River along Route 94, also known as the Hawk’s Nest Highway.  This is a great road, popular among bikers, and you will often see them stopped at one of the pull-off points to grab some pictures of the river several hundred feet below.

We turn north onto Route 31, following the compass as it leads us to Eldred, NY.  Sullivan County is one of the best areas in NY State for motorcycle rides.  Fortunately for us, it was also a good option for moto coffee. See the route below.

The Coffee Shop

Eldred is a hamlet in the town of Highland, NY, in Sullivan County. It features a post office, library, town hall, fire station, some churches, and, of course, Churchill After Hours. The entire town of Highland, NY, has just over 2000 residents and a density of just 48 people per square mile.

The town borders Pennsylvania along the Delaware River. While the river was once a busy conduit for logging, it is now mostly used for recreation. Roads that follow the river are perfect motorcycling roads, and it’s not unusual to see a flurry of bikes in the warmer months. Several of the roads leading away from the river are beautiful roads on their own, like Route 55, where Churchill After Hours is located in the hamlet of Eldred.

There is parking just outside, and the building is Churchill Classic Cars, with several older cars in the parking area.  The space is oriented toward servicing cars and motorcycles, with clear signs showing it as a registered service center in NY State.

You are greeted with a nice, vast, open space as you enter through the front door. On a platform on the left is a BMW R75/5 with a toaster tank, similar to the one I take on some coffee rides. In the center is another motorcycle of Japanese vintage. A Land Rover Defender in beige is near a couch area. The shop’s specialty is working on old Land Rovers; they even offer them for photo and film shoots.

Warm woods near the counter and printed lettering highlight the coffee options.  Espresso, cortado, flat white, latte, batch brew, and hand brew round out the coffee options, while several teas and hot apple cider extend the drink options.  A few trays with packaged snack options such as granola satiate any hunger.

The Refreshments

I ordered an espresso, which was served in a paper cup.  While the paper cup may not lead one to expect a good cup, the flavor pleasantly surprised me.  It had a sweet smell, almost like honey, with a smooth texture and citrus finish.  It may be a coffee shop deep in the country, but that doesn’t belie the quality of the brews they create.